TESTIMONIALS
An investment in yourself.
And in the community.
More than 500 people have graduated from Leadership UA’s Adult Program. Here are just a few comments from recent graduates about their experiences.
“Through a series of engagements throughout the city, participants are given a civic education with focus on all branches of public operations – Schools, Police, Fire, Government, Library. The immersion into the community is extremely educational and allows for one-on-one communication with city leaders and employees regarding how things work in UA. I would strongly recommend LUA for anyone intending to be a long-time resident of Upper Arlington.”
— Georgia Kaltenbach, Class of 2016
"Leadership UA taught me a lot about the vital city services, schools, and community organizations that make Upper Arlington a great place to live. It also gave me valuable insights on my own leadership style and the importance of leaders to a thriving and sustainable city. The facilitators are top-notch, and I really connected with my fellow participants, many of whom remain friends to this day. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to take a more active role in our community.”
— Kevin Fix, Class of 2012
“Leadership UA offers participants a unique, curated, and impressive opportunity to learn about and give back to the community. I highly recommend LUA for leadership development, civic engagement and personal enrichment. When I signed up for this, I knew the presentations and opportunities to learn about the city and local organizations would be excellent. What I didn't expect was the genuine connection that happened within our group. Different experiences, strengths, and viewpoints were valued and respected, which made our time together rich and engaging.”
— Tracie Steele, Class of 2020
“I thought that I had a pretty strong working knowledge of our city, our schools, our library and our community organizations. During the Leadership UA program, I was often surprised by how many new things I learned about the community and about myself. However, the most valuable part of the experience is the people. I came away from the program with a new network of people that collectively represent a broad base of knowledge. Each of these people is still willing to offer their advice, expertise or help when I need it.”
— Jennifer Faure, Class of 2015
“My experience as a part of Leadership UA helped me grow as a person, a leader, and a member of the community. The diversity and strength of my classmates introduced me to influencers in all aspects of the city of Upper Arlington and it helped form bonds of friendship and trust that I did not believe could exist through a program like this. The focus on development as a leader equates to a Masters level education; exposing my own personal strengths and weaknesses and relying on the trust of our class as a whole to develop strategies to become better. The strength of the program is credited to Leadership UA’s Directors and the willingness of the community leaders to educate us about the many components of a successful city. I highly recommend this program for any professional seeking to know more about the city of Upper Arlington or those who seek to develop themselves further as a leader!”
— Greg Gleaves, Class of 2015
“I highly recommend LUA and would gladly do again! As a new Upper Arlington resident, I was eager to give back and plug in to the community, but overwhelmed with where to start or how to get connected. Leadership UA not only streamlined this process for me with their coordinated meetings showcasing local resources, organizations, nonprofits, etc., it also gave me a platform to develop a deeper understanding and historical context about our community. This was all while fostering friendships with neighbors and working as a team to identify meaningfully ways to contribute to Upper Arlington. Walking away with greater professional and personal development, on top of all the localized knowledge, is something I’ll forever be grateful for. I did Leadership UA so I could give to others. I got to do that, while gaining so much for myself in the process.”
— Michaela Burriss, Class of 2016
“Leadership Upper Arlington is a unique and powerful way to understand the inner workings of our city and to interact with a wide variety of civic leaders. The programming was compelling and well-organized, and our class project resulted in a real benefit to the city. The best part was getting to know my classmates, a diverse group of individuals I now consider good friends. I have no doubt they’ll continue to be leaders in the future.”
— Gregor Gilliom, Class of 2015